Side dish:

Directions

Cooking the Ponce in the Oven:

For baking in the oven: Preheat oven for 350 degrees Fahrenheit. I
use a black cast iron pot or an oval Magnalite pot. Add a dash of oil to
the bottom of the pot and about 1 cup of water just enough to cover the
bottom of the pot. Use a cooking fork or regular fork and poke holes
into the ponce so that it does not burst. Then place the ponce into the
pot, cover, and place in oven. Cook for about 30, then remove pot from
oven and flip the ponce and poke holes into the side of the ponce. Place
back into the oven for another 30 min. During
this time, cook some rice, if you’d like to serve rice. If not, smother
some red potatoes with some onions, bell peppers, and Teet’s Smoked Pure
Pork Sausage or Jalapeno Pork Sausage. Once you’ve finished cooking it
in the oven, place pot on stove and brown (sauté) onions, bell peppers,
garlic until the onions appear brown. Once browned, add 2 cups of water
to the pot and place the ponce back into the pot, either whole or cut
into slices, and cook it for another 20-30 min or until tender. After 15
min of cooking add your mushrooms if you chose to use them. Make sure
you have a nice brown gravy when serving on rice. Use gravy thickener as
needed to your desired gravy thickness.

Cooking the Ponce Stovetop:

Use a black cast iron pot or oval Magnalite pot. Place ponce in pot
and poke holes into the ponce. Add enough water to cover the bottom
half of the ponce and boil for an hour or until water is gone, whatever
you desire. While boiling continue to flip the ponce every 10-15 minutes
and continue to poke holes into the ponce so that it does not burst.
Once boiled, remove the ponce from the pot and add onions, bell peppers,
and garlic to the pot and brown (sauté) until browned. After browned,
add 4 cups of water to the pot and place the ponce back into the pot,
either whole or cut into slices, and cook it for another 45 min or
until tender. After 20 minutes of cooking add your mushrooms if
you chose to use them. Make sure you have a nice brown gravy when
serving on rice. Use gravy thickener as needed to your desired gravy
thickness.

For the side dish:

Brown the bacon for 10 minutes, then add 3 cups of water and boil. Boil the bacon for 30 minutes then add beans and cook until the beans are thoroughly cooked, season to taste and serve.

If you have left over ponce, you must reheat it on the stove and put a slice in between two slices of bread! It will be the best sandwich you have EVER eaten. I promise.